Chapter 4: Selection and Appraisal

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts and terms from Chapter 4: Selection and Appraisal in archival practice.

Appraisal

The process of identifying which records have sufficient value to be added to the archives; a judgment about retention or destruction.

Five Values of Records

Operating, Administrative, Fiscal, Legal, and Archival (historical) value—the reasons to retain records.

Operating Value

Usefulness of records for current work; typically short-term.

Administrative Value

Value for summarizing operations or supporting management and reporting; often 1–2 years.

Fiscal Value

Existence as an audit trail for financial transactions; retention tied to audit needs.

Legal Value

Two kinds: statutory retention requirements and documentation of legal rights/interests.

Archival Value (Historical Value)

Enduring value that justifies permanent preservation for research and memory.

Evidential Value

Value showing how the organization functioned and its origins; evidence of structure and programs.

Informational Value

Value that records provide about persons, places, or events; can be difficult to judge.

Substantive vs Facilitative Records

Substantive records document core functions; facilitative records arise from routine activities; most modern records are facilitative.

Disposition

Possible outcomes for noncurrent records: transfer to a records center, to an archives, donation, or destruction.

Uniqueness (Informational Value test)

Is the information not duplicated elsewhere and is this the most complete version?

Form (Informational Value test)

How concentrated is the information and how easy will it be to preserve and use?

Importance (Informational Value test)

How significant are the persons, places, or events; likely future research; often subjective.

The Black Box Concept

A framework by Boles and Young that considers value of information, cost of retention, and implications of the appraisal decision.

Intrinsic Value

Some records possess intrinsic value due to their physical form or unique characteristics, warranting preservation of the original medium.

Nine Intrinsic Value Characteristics

Nine characteristics identified by the National Archives indicating intrinsic value (e.g., physical form, age, uniqueness, legal status, etc.).

Sampling

Preservation of a subset of a record series to manage large volumes while preserving research value.

Random Sampling

Random selection (often by random numbers); unbiased but can be slow and labor-intensive.

Systematic Sampling

Systematic selection (e.g., every nth file); faster and can approximate random sampling with careful design.

Purposive Sampling – Exemplary

Selective sampling of all items of a type to document a characteristic or period.

Purposive Sampling – Exceptional

Identifying and retaining files on significant individuals/events; requires substantial subject expertise.

Fat File Method

Keep only thick files as a proxy for significance; risks inconsistent space planning and sampling control.

Minnesota Method

Pragmatic framework: define mission, analyze holdings, survey outside input, categorize creators, set documentation levels, and guide acquisitions.

Minnesota Method Tiers

Four priority tiers to guide acquisition and appraisal decisions.

Functional Approach

Analyze records by organizational functions (not by who created them) to document institutional activities and requirements.

Macro-appraisal

Canada’s function-centered, top-down approach linking functions to administrative structures and recordkeeping systems.

Total Archives

Canada’s principle to collect all materials from all sources, public and private, in a single, integrated archive.

Life Cycle Theory

Archivists see distinct stages in records management with separate roles for records managers and archivists.

Continuum Theory

Records are current and historical from creation; integration of recordkeeping and archiving without a strict life-cycle separation.

Photographs Appraisal Criteria

Intelligibility, medium quality, user needs, subject, accompanying documentation, uniqueness, age, and accessibility.

Sound Recordings Appraisal Criteria

Relevance to mission, uniqueness, duplication, medium specificity, form, age, condition, quality, completeness, documentation, use potential, and costs.

Moving Images Appraisal

Assess fidelity of moving images and decide between high- and reduced-fidelity preservation based on mission and resources.

Appraising Digital Records

Assess formats, openness, technical characteristics, system functionality; decide on copies, custody, metadata, and costs.

FBI Sampling Case – Stratified Sampling

Use stratified sampling to reflect varying value across the universe; informs retention schedules and prioritization.